


and if they're just dreams

by av_versiera



Category: Naruto
Genre: Canon Compliant, Gen, Warring States Period (Naruto), senju bros
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-20
Updated: 2020-11-20
Packaged: 2021-03-09 17:42:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,142
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27640193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/av_versiera/pseuds/av_versiera
Summary: They are, but just dreams, but with Tobirama, they will manifest into reality.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 21





	and if they're just dreams

**Author's Note:**

> Just a little one-shot about the Senju bros. All 4 of them. This is one of the drafts or scratches I was writing to get into Tobirama’s character and I just want to share it with you guys lol. Enjoy :).

Senju Tobirama watches his brothers tackle each other by the riverside before him. He opted to stay in the cool shadows of the trees and observe the life before him; the birds flying overhead, the grass swaying from the soft breeze, the flowers bouncing along. He runs his palm on the soil underneath him, and narrows his eyes ahead when their eldest brother, Hashirama, throws their youngest brother down into the river that cuts the land before him in half. 

Itama giggles instead of crying, and Tobirama sighs in relief. Despite being the youngest and the tiniest, he had already mastered the way to move his body. He jumped out of the stream almost immediately and splashed the rest of his brothers with water.

His second younger brother, Kawarama, charges at Hashirama intending to push him towards the stream as well, but he fails when Hashirama suddenly ducked down and hefted him on the shoulder. Kawarama shrieks from laughter, and protests when Hashirama also throws him into the stream.

“Not fair!” Kawarama shouts giddily. 

Hashirama smiles warmly and he shrugs. Then, he turns towards Tobirama with a mischievous grin. 

Tobirama shakes his head and he hops to his feet lightly. “Don’t,” he warns. 

Tobirama considers using the wind to sweep him off his feet, but his brother is already a few feet away from him and has grabbed him. 

Before he knows it, his body is in the air and he plunges into the cold water of the river. Above him, his brothers are laughing carefreely. He smiles secretly, a moment of expression he will allow himself to have. His brothers are laughing. Like the boys they are supposed to be.

~

Kawarama had just turned seven, and for his birthday gift, he received a nasty scar on the face from the brutal training their father had insisted on them since the moment they can walk. Kawarama had been sword fighting with one of their uncles, and in a moment of weakness or well, the greater strength of a man older than him, he was slow to parry and had received a blow to his cheek.

Kawarama drops his sword and he curls into the ground, the fresh slashes on his face stinging and blinding him.

“Get up, Kawarama!” Their father barks from where he is training with Hashirama and Itama.

Tobirama hurries to his brother to check on him, but he is already about to get up. His hands are planted on the ground and Kawarama brings himself to a low crouch. He did not even cry out, although Tobirama can tell that it hurt from the way he tensed his shoulders and bit his lip. There are even tears welling up in his eyes. 

“Let me see,” Tobirama orders. He grabs Kawarama’s shoulders to make him still.

The boy never learned how to stay in one place. 

Kawarama looks away, and he weakly pushes Tobirama back. He smirks, but the blood gushes from his new wound. “I’m fine, brother.”

Tobirama frowns, seeing how the flesh is hanging off his brother’s face. “Your face looks mangled. Let me take a look.”

Tobirama senses Hashirama behind him, and hears him gasp in horror. 

“ _Elder brother_ , I am alright,” Kawarama insists and he steps back from Hashirama, who is now tearing up at the sight of him. 

Tobirama is not sure who is supposed to be comforted here. Despite being the one who is injured, Kawarama is reassuring their eldest brother so that he would not worry too much. He side-eyes their father, who is now watching them with a face of displeasure. He knows what he is about to say–that they are wasting time. A warrior never flinches from pain and he should keep pushing through until the fight is over. 

Kawarama, despite being a notable shinobi already, is still freshly seven.

Before Kawarama can get away, Tobirama grabs his arm hard, and using his other hand, he grips his brother’s jaw and turns it towards him so that he can examine it. His younger brother yelps, but he quickly quells the sound by clamping his mouth shut. A shinobi never shows weakness. A rule they all know from the moment they can think for themselves. 

“You’ll live,” Tobirama announces, more to Hashirama than Kawarama. “Face wounds bleed more anyways.”

Tobirama kicks Hashirama on the leg lightly. “Just heal him already and stop brooding!”

Kawarama tries to shrug out of Tobirama’s grip, but his older brother is unyielding. “Aw! But I want to keep the scar! It’ll look cool!” 

Hashirama grimaces, and he puts his hand towards Kawarama’s face. “Let’s just stop the bleeding, alright?”

Kawarama pouts, but then he shoots Tobirama a big grin. “Won’t I look cool?”

Itama giggles near them, who had just walked over. “Yes, brother, you will.” 

~

Tobirama could not sleep. Itama and Kawarama are between him and their eldest brother, and his brothers tend to kick and lash out with their limbs out of nowhere while sleeping. This is the fourth time he has been smacked. It did not help that Hashirama is the type to roll over in his sleep and has tried to roll over their little brothers. If Tobirama was not awake to push him off, Hashirama might have been lying parallel on top of their torsos by morning. 

He looks towards the outside of the shoji doors, where the bright silver moon hangs over them like a vigilant hawk. 

The soft, dim light peers through the open doors, and settles over their skin. Tobirama sighs and he pulls the blanket away from Hashirama since he has been kicking it down to their feet, and instead lays it on top of their younger brothers. 

So many thoughts plague him at night, and now they run amok endlessly. He could not put the energy into entertaining them during the day because he is so busy with training and getting stronger; each waking up moment is spent on building his battle skills. Now that he has the borrowed time from a sleepless night and the silence, he intends to do something about it. 

Suddenly, Kawarama lands his leg and his arm on his body, trapping him there. The impact almost hurt him and he wonders since when did Kawarama become heavy. 

Tobirama sighs and he keeps still, lest he wakes his brother up. 

He closes his eyes and tries to yank at sleep to overtake him. 

~

“Father intends to bring me on the battlefield today!” Kawarama announces excitedly. 

They are currently polishing their armors and their weapons. 

Hashirama frowns and he looks at his sword darkly. He stops polishing his sword and he clenches his fists. Lately, the tensions between their clan, the Uchihas and the Hagoromo have multiplied, so the frequency of producing child soldiers has increased. The Senju brothers have fallen to this category. More and more children have spent their time on the battlefield, instead of playing among their peers and running wild in the forests and meadows.

It just so happens that their father, Butsuma, is a proud man and he never passes the opportunity to strengthen his kids and give them the taste of a fight. What better way to learn than to throw them to the sharks? 

Tobirama gets up from his spot and assists Kawarama with his armor, even though he already knew how to put it on. 

“And don’t you bring this up with father either!” Kawarama chides Hashirama. “I know you would, but I want to prove myself today. You already know how strong I am!”

Tobirama tightens the straps on his back. He can’t help but notice how small Kawarama is compared to him and Hashirama, now that this big armor is sheltering his boyish body. 

Itama comes up to Kawarama and he gives him a short hug. He looks up at his brother and smiles. “Come home with stories of victory!” 

Kawarama smiles and pats his little brother on the head. “Of course. You know me!” 

Hashirama bites his lower lip and he turns his face away. Tobirama wants to chide him, but it fades away. He knows that his feelings do not come unwarranted. Most of the time.

~

With their father, Butsuma, Hashirama, Tobirama and Itama stand over the open grave of Senju Kawarama. They have yet to shovel soil on top of his coffin. Itama cries beside Tobirama, barely able to suppress the sobs that are coming from his mouth. 

Tobirama stares at his brother’s coffin, which is carved with their clan symbol. Senju. A thousand hands. A clan of love. Supposedly.

“Shinobi don’t cry!” Their father barks out, but Itama’s tears do not stop. 

Hashirama shakes from his anger, and Tobirama feels like a stone, hard and heavy, so much so that he can barely hear Hashirama murmur. 

“Do children like him have to be sacrificed?” Hashirama angrily bursts out.

The next thing he knows is that Hashirama’s face snaps to the right as their father hits him hard across his face. Hashirama falls to the ground and Tobirama is quick to bend over to help him. However, Hashirama immediately bounces up to his feet. 

“I won’t allow Kawarama’s name to be disrespected!” Butsuma shouts at them. 

Their father turns away from them in rage, but Hashirama never knows when to keep quiet. 

“He shouldn’t have died!” Hashirama screams. “He was only seven! Why? Why do children have to die in a pointless battle like this? Give me a break about our clan values! We’re no different from the Uchiha!” 

Butsuma whirls around, his arm raised and poised for a direct punch towards Hashirama. 

“Children like you are brats!” 

However, Tobirama is already in front of his brother and he spreads his arms open to protect him. He is completely open. Vulnerable. He was not taught to leave himself out like this, with nothing to shield himself with.

“Father!” Tobirama shouts in alarm. “Brother is just feeling depressed today, he does not mean anything bad!” 

Butsuma glowers at his children. “You have become weak!”

Tobirama tenses, getting ready in case their father hits him too. It is not like he can fight back. It is his father, after all. The only thing he can do is stop the hits coming or take them like a man.

He hears Hashirama behind him shift, and he knows that his brother is about to open his mouth to retort but he gives him a pointed look. 

“I will talk to him, father,” Tobirama pleads. As the second eldest, he has learned to be a negotiator. Someone has to play referee among them. It is an ability he had picked up, and he finds it very useful, especially in family matters.

Tobirama holds his breath, anticipating that punch or hard slap.

But it does not come.

Butsuma scoffs and he turns away, shaking his head in anger.

~

Tobirama frowns at Itama. “Keep talking like that and you’ll die like the others.”

Itama looks down, still visibly upset. Days have passed since Kawarama’s death, but it does not make grieving any easier. “But-”

Tobirama shakes his head. “You need to cool your head about this. Shinobi have to keep their emotions in check and separate their feelings when they are going into battle. This is what we have to do so that peace can come upon us.”

Itama nods along, agreeing even though a part of him is still unsure. He looks up to his brothers, and he knows how strong they are about their beliefs. He believes that they are in the right.

Hashirama stares at the space in front of him.

Tobirama glances at Hashirama. “Adults are stupid anyways. We need to establish rules that can ensure that shinobi lives are preserved.”

Hashirama sighs heavily, but when he raises his head, he looks very determined. “We need to do better.” 

Their elder brother clenches his fist. "I wish I can stop the fighting....I will definitely stop all the fighting." 

Tobirama watches him, and then looks at Itama, wanting to berate him for being so impressionable, but he would not be Itama if he wasn't. 

Here, Tobirama makes a vow. He swears with all his life and on Kawarama’s grave that he will do anything to make Hashirama’s vision of peace come true. He will even sacrifice his life for it, so that there will be no more deaths and afflictions. He is no god, but he is a Senju, and he knows enough that Hashirama’s ideals will not happen if there is no one directing in the background. He simply cannot leave his elder brother to his own devices without a reasonable voice on his shoulder.

They are, but just dreams, but with Tobirama, they will manifest into reality.

“We can,” Tobirama affirms, with a newfound determination steering into his heart.

_He will._


End file.
